The Latest in ADS-B News

No, ADS-B Isn't Being Delayed

When I was a young newspaper reporter and just reaching into opinion and commentary writing, it was understood there were certain things you never joked about. One was religion, another was a guy’s wife or a woman’s husband and anything to do with violent crimes was similarly off-limits. I’m adding a new sacred cow: No jokes about ADS-B.

Satellite-based ADS-B Surveillance System Draws Closer

Last Friday’s launch of Aireon space-based ADS-B payloads installed in Iridium Next satellites carried aboard a SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket brings the total number of these payloads in orbit to 50. When the payloads from this fifth launch come online, the completed system will provide global air traffic flight-following coverage via satellite-based ADS-B receivers with 15-minute or better real-time-update intervals. System testing will soon be under way by airlines and non-scheduled operators flying over oceanic, remote, and polar routes.

ADS-B Exemption, Failure Clarifications at Avionics for NextGen

If the FAA has said it once, the FAA has said it a million times: The ADS-B Out mandate deadline will not slip. After Jan. 1, 2020, all U.S. airspace in which a Mode S transponder is currently required will be restricted to aircraft with ADS-B Out technology. Even airliners, which have an exemption, must comply — and it may not be well understood.

FAA Expects 2017 to be Safest Year on Record

There was good news at the FAA’s General Aviation Safety Summit held this week in Washington, D.C. “We’re still finalizing the numbers, but it looks like 2017 will end up being our safest year yet,” said FAA Administrator Michael Huerta in a speech at the Summit. The fatal accident rate has declined below one per 100,000 flight hours.

ADS-B REBATE RESERVATION SYSTEM TO GO LIVE

The FAA has announced that its Automatic Dependent Surveillance-Broadcast (ADS-B) rebate reservation system will be available sometime during the afternoon on Sept. 19, allowing aircraft owners to apply online for a $500 rebate toward the cost of installing ADS-B Out equipment in their aircraft.

ADS-B Installation Reservations Taking Off

Are you concerned about getting Automatic Dependent Surveillance-Broadcast equipment installed in your aircraft before the FAA’s Jan. 1, 2020, mandate for ADS-B Out to fly in airspace where a transponder is required today? Still trying to determine the best ADS-B solution for your aircraft and your operational needs? Do you wish you could just reserve an installation slot at an avionics shop now, so you can take your time deciding on the actual hardware?

Flight Safety Foundation Releases ADS-B Safety Study

The Flight Safety Foundation this week released a study investigating the application of space-based ADS-B networks that provide global coverage of near-real-time flight surveillance. In addition to identifying the safety benefits of ADS-B and challenges of implementation, the study assessed its role in addressing existing and future challenges in aviation.

FAA Will Reportedly Offer $500 ADS-B Rebate

The FAA and Department of Transportation are expected to announce at dual press conferences on Monday that the agency will try to stimulate lagging ADS-B sales by offering owners who install systems a $500 cash rebate.

FAA Worried About ADS-B, 1090 MHz Interference

With Automatic Dependent Surveillance-Broadcast (ADS-B) equipage on the rise and a wholesale mandate for the NextGen surveillance technology less than four years away, the FAA is getting serious about how to deal with a downside of the upgrade—radio frequency interference. The issue involves the 1090 MHz frequency and the potential ill effects of too many signals occupying too small a volume of airspace. That frequency is used not only by ADS-B transmitters but also by FAA air

The ADS-B Waiting Game

So let me guess. You still haven't equipped your airplane for ADS-B. With the calendar about to flip from 2015 to 2016 – and with the FAA mandate still stubbornly set for Jan. 1, 2020 – you're starting to feel a little squeamish. You know you should install mandate-compliant ADS-B gear (including a WAAS GPS position source and antenna if you don't have one already) but you're reluctant to act. What if the mandate is delayed? What if a better, cheaper option comes along?

AEA ADS-B Roundup

ADS-B is big in the news at the Aircraft Electronics Association show in Dallas this month. In this product tour, AVweb reviews ADS-B units from three companies: Appareo, Avidyne, and Sandia Aerospace.

10,000 Aircraft Now Equipped with ADS-B

Automatic Dependent Surveillance-Broadcast (ADS-B) equipment has now been installed on 10,000 aircraft flying in the U.S., a move hailed by the General Aviation Manufacturers Association. The FAA made the announcement at an Equip 2020 working group meeting on March 18, GAMA said. The working group was established by the FAA last year to encourage the adoption of ADS-B equipment and to address challenges of equipping the nation’s aircraft.

GAMA Welcomes Passage of Legislation Beneficial to General Aviation by U.S. Congress

Washington, DC—The General Aviation Manufacturers Association (GAMA) today applauded the U.S. Congress for passing legislation recently in two areas important to its members: extending expiring tax provisions important to general aviation growth and innovation, and passing a key appropriations bill funding the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA). Specifically, GAMA thanked Congress for extending tax provisions that promote research and development (R&D) and enable bonus depreciation that will allow general aviation manufacturers to introduce new, safety-enhancing products, boost sales and jobs, and aid the overall U.S. economy. GAMA also praised Congress for passing funding for many of the federal government agencies, including the Department of Transportation and FAA, through September 30, 2015.